The NFL debuted its regional scouting combine concept back in 2011. Ten cities this year hold a regional combine from January to March, with the best players going to a super-regional in Dallas in April.

The March 2-3 New Jersey regional will mark a first in the regional combine process: A female player will compete.

Lauren Silberman of New York City will participate as a kicker. A club soccer player at Wisconsin, Silberman has taken a different path than your average college kicker. She wrote a Master's thesis at MIT about how athletes use video games to enhance their own performance. She then founded a consulting company Double Play that helps athletes use video games for virtual training purposes.

Here is a quote from her...

Quote:

"I was not aware that I was the first female registrant," Silberman told NFL.com on Tuesday. "I was actually hoping that the 2012 historical milestone rule, to allow women to play, would prompt more women to attend tryouts this year. But for me, what's important is to finally have a chance to fulfill my dreams by trying out to play in the world's most competitive football league."

I think especially at 28 it doesn't really sound like she's going to make it however, give it a few years and maybe a viable female kicker may come up for grabs. No pun intended._________________

Good for her... but would any rules be changed? Kickers don't usually face contact, but sometimes on blown plays / big returns find themselves in the thick of it._________________^^ryknowssd^^
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Is she gonna be officially listed with all the prospects in the results? Or is this just a purely ceremonial thing?_________________
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When I coached youth football - we had a squad one year where our best defensive player was a girl - with a helmet on she was just a beast of a linebacker and nobody seemed to care. This was a 11-14yr old league. When she was old enough to go to high school - they said the rules prohibited her from playing High School ball. She protested it and took it to the school board and everything but nothing came of it and I don't think she ever played again. It was a shame - she really loved the game and was a pleasure to coach. I think she ended up playing field hockey and rugby so she had a reason to hit people but I don't think she enjoyed it as much.

My point is - I think girls should be encouraged to play football if they want to, just like I think boys shouldn't be deterred from doing things traditionally classified as "feminine" if that's what they choose to do. Notwithstanding, I don't think we're close to having a female in the NFL and a more viable option would be to slowly build up the female presence from pop-warner onward and hopefully one day have a viable women's league (NOT Lingerie Football League). It will take forever and may never be as popular but I think it's a more viable option than making the NFL co-ed._________________The Ultimate Fantasy Football Challenge
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Discussion Thread Link
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When I coached youth football - we had a squad one year where our best defensive player was a girl - with a helmet on she was just a beast of a linebacker and nobody seemed to care. This was a 11-14yr old league. When she was old enough to go to high school - they said the rules prohibited her from playing High School ball. She protested it and took it to the school board and everything but nothing came of it and I don't think she ever played again. It was a shame - she really loved the game and was a pleasure to coach. I think she ended up playing field hockey and rugby so she had a reason to hit people but I don't think she enjoyed it as much.

My point is - I think girls should be encouraged to play football if they want to, just like I think boys shouldn't be deterred from doing things traditionally classified as "feminine" if that's what they choose to do. Notwithstanding, I don't think we're close to having a female in the NFL and a more viable option would be to slowly build up the female presence from pop-warner onward and hopefully one day have a viable women's league (NOT Lingerie Football League). It will take forever and may never be as popular but I think it's a more viable option than making the NFL co-ed.

I think having women in the NFL may actually be viable. The only thing is, due to physical limitations, obviously they couldn't play certain positions. But I could absolutely see a woman be a fantastic kicker in the NFL.

A female friend of mine from high school that was a fantastic soccer player was part of powder puff her junior year. Had never kicked a football before. Was told how to and was nailing 50 yard field goals within 2 days. Actually met David Akers and showed him the video of her doing so _________________

aceinthehouse wrote:

But why not maintain that dominance? You guys were there...

Let me give you my personal opinion, on what I think has happened.
It all started with the release of the coke machine in Brandon Jacobs.